WEBVTT SOLEDAD: PRESIDENT TRUMPDIRECTIVE TO CRACK DOWN ONBORDER SECURITY INCLUDES ADDING10,000 ADDITIONAL BORDERS ITSHOULD -- 10,000 ADDITIONALIMMIGRATION SECURITY AGENTS AND5000 BORDER PATROL AGENT.HE WILL LIKELY NEED APPROVAL FORTHE MONEY ADDED TO THE BUDGET.NOT INCLUDED IN THE GUIDELINES,ADDING LEGAL STAFF ORIMMIGRATION JUDGES TO HANDLE THEBACKLOG OF MORE THAN 500,000IMMIGRATION CASES.THE COURTS ARE CURRENTLY STAFFEDBY JUST A COUPLE HUNDRED JUDGES.OUR GUEST HAS BEEN ALITIGATOR,PROSECUTOR, JUDGE IN BALTIMOREFOR MORGAN 30 YEARS.WHEN HE RETIRED IN 2013, HE WASTHE THIRD MOST SENIORIMMIGRATION JUDGE IN THECOUNTRY.UNDER THESE DHS GUIDELINES, IFYOU ARE ALREADY UNDER ABACKLOGGED, HOW YOU EXPECT IT TODID -- EXPECT THE JUDICIARY TODEAL WITH THAT?>> I THINK THEY WOULD IMPLODE.DUE PROCESS CAN'TBE ADHERED TOWITH ALL THE PRESSURE ON THEJUDGES TO HEAR THESE CASES ASEXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE ANDRESOLVE THEM.IF YOU'RE WAITING TO COME TO MYCOURT AND YOU HAVE WAITED TWOYEARS, AND NEXT WEEK IS YOUR DAYIN COURT AND YOU GET A CALL FROMA LAW CLERK SAY YOUR CASE HASBEEN CANCELED BECAUSE OF A NEWPRIORITY AND YOUR NEXT HEARINGDATE IS TWO YEARS FROM NOW, THATIS FUNDAMENTALLY UNFAIR.SOLEDAD: HOW IF YOU COME AS AJUDGE, MANAGED TO NAVIGATE BOTHDOING YOUR JOB IN THE LAWANDMANAGING DAY AFTER DAY WHAT IIMAGINE OUR HEART WRENCHINGSTORIES OF PEOPLE WHO JUST WANTTO STAY IN THIS COUNTRY.>> DURING MY CAREER, I HEARDTENS OF THOUSANDS OF CASES.THERE WAS NEVER A WEEK THAT WENTBY THAT PERSONALLY MY HEART WASBROKEN BY THE DECISION I WASMADE BECAUSE THE PERSON WAS NOTELIGIBLE AND HAD TO BE SENTHOME.I HAD A ONE -- IHAD A WOMANONE-TIMED TELL ME, PLEASE DON'TSUPPORT MY HUSBAND BECAUSE IFYOU DO, -- PLEASE DON'T REPORTMY HUSBAND BECAUSE IF YOU DO, IWILL HAVE TO GO ON WELFARE.THESE ARE VICTIMS ASSOCIATEDWITH WHAT THE LAW MIGHT REQUIRE.SOLEDAD: PART OF THESEGUIDELINES WOULD BE TAKINGPEOPLE WHO COME INTO THE COUNTRYAND SENDING THEM BACK TO MEXICOWHETHER THEY ARE MEXICANNATIONALS OR EVEN IF THEY ARENOT MEXICAN NATIONALS.>> MANY OF THE CENTRAL AMERICANSWHO HAVE COME TO THIS COUNTRYFROM EL SALVADOR, HONDURAS, HAVECOME THROUGH THE MEXICAN BORDER.SOLEDAD: WHAT DO YOU THINKHAPPENS NEXT?YOU SPENT ALL THIS TIME DEALINGWITH IMMIGRATION CASES.WHAT SHOULD IT LOOK LIKE?>> THIS IS WHAT I WOULD DO.I WOULD HAVE THE PRESIDENT OFTHE UNITED STATES CALLED LEADERSOF CONGRESS ON BOTH SIDES OUT OFWASHINGTON DC.TAKEN TO CAMP DAVID AND SENDTHEM DOWN FOR A CONFERENCE.WORK OUT IMMIGRATIONREFORM.IN ORDER TO HAVE ENFORCEMENTCONTROL, IN ORDER TO TAKE CAREOF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADYHERE, WHO HAVE ESTABLISHED ALIFE AND A FUTURE IN THISCOUNTRY, WHO ARE NOW -- WHO NOWHAVE U.S. CITIZEN SPOUSES,CHILDREN, WHO HAVE BOUGHT HOMES,ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES WHERETHEY HAVE HIRED AMERICANWORKERS, WHO HAVE PAID TAXES,ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE GOOD ANDDECENT PEOPLE, BUT THEY AREVULNERABLE UNDER THIS NEWGUIDELINE TO BEING REMOVED ANDDEPORTED.ONE CAN SAY, IF YOU VIOLATED THELAW, YOU PAY FOR YOUR SINS, BUTTHERE ARE A LOT OF OTHERVICTIMS.SOLEDAD: YOU ARE SAYING THAT OURCOUNTRY'S LEADERSHIP SHOULD SITDOWN AND IN A BIPARTISAN

Retired Immigration Judge: The Courts Will Implode Under New Rules

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Updated: 10:12 AM EST Feb 25, 2017

Recent memos from the Department of Homeland Security detail guidelines for enforcing President Donald Trump’s immigration executive order. These will significantly increase the number of undocumented immigrants sent to immigration court, a system already backlogged with over 500,000 cases resting on the shoulders of only a couple hundred judges. Cases could take years to be heard and hearings could continue to be pushed back as immigration priorities change. Retired immigration Judge John Gossart says if more legal staff are not hired the courts will “implode.” He joins Soledad O’Brien for a discussion on caseloads and an insight into deciding who will stay in the U.S. and who will go.